20/12/2025
How to Keep Your Health in Check During Year-End’s Festive Dining & Celebrations?
https://expressmedical.com.sg/how-to-keep-your-health-in-check-during-year-ends-festive-dining-celebrations/
As the year draws to a close, festive celebrations, year-end parties, family reunions, and an abundance of dining engagements are almost unavoidable. Singaporeans often look forward to festive feasts — from Christmas dinners and office potlucks to informal gatherings with friends — but the indulgent food, rich flavours, and extended social hours can take a toll on both your immediate well-being and long-term health goals.
Staying healthy while enjoying the season calls for intentional choices not only about what you eat, but how you eat — and how you handle and prepare food safely. Below, we explore evidence-based tips and official guidance from Singapore’s health authorities to help you keep your health — and that of your loved ones — in check this year-end.
1. Prioritise Food Safety: An Essential First Step
Choose Safe Food Sources
With increased consumption of catered meals, ready-to-eat foods, and takeaway options during festive periods, the risk of food-borne illness can rise if food is mishandled or stored in the wrong conditions.
Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) emphasise that only purchase food from licensed establishments and caterers with good hygiene track records. You can check a caterer’s licence and compliance history on the NEA database.
• Hot foods should be kept above 60 °C to prevent bacteria from multiplying.
• Cold foods should be stored below 5 °C.
• Consume catered meals within the recommended “consume by” timeframe — usually within four hours if kept between 5 °C and 60 °C.
These temperature guidelines help avoid the “danger zone” where harmful bacteria can proliferate quickly.
Personal Hygiene Matters
Good personal hygiene remains fundamental: wash hands before eating, after using restrooms, and after coughing or sneezing. Use serving utensils instead of hands when sharing food. Avoid sharing personal items like utensils or towels.
If you’re hosting at home, take time to sanitize kitchen surfaces, separate raw foods from cooked ones, and ensure thorough cooking — especially for meats, poultry and seafood — which should reach at least 75 °C internally to kill pathogens.
guidelines-for-eating-safely-during-festive-season.pdf
2. Healthy Eating Habits for the Festive Season
While traditional festive foods are often high in fats, sugar and calories, with mindful choices you can still enjoy your favourite dishes without harming your health.
Eat Mindfully and Avoid Overeating
The Health Promotion Board’s HealthHub Singapore advises that eating slowly allows your brain about 20 minutes to register fullness, reducing the urge to overeat.
Consider these simple habits:
• Eat slowly and savour each bite.
• Focus on socialising rather than eating continuously.
• Use smaller plates to naturally limit portions.
Mindful eating helps you recognise when you’re comfortably full — roughly when you’re about 80 % satisfied — instead of stuffed.
Balance Your Plate with Healthier Choices
Even during feasting, aim for balanced portions by following the My Healthy Plate guidelines:
• ½ plate fruits and vegetables — fibre helps you feel full and supports digestion.
• ¼ plate lean protein (e.g., fish, chicken, tofu).
• ¼ plate whole grains or healthier carbohydrates.
At parties or buffets, fill your plate first with vegetables and lean proteins before adding richer dishes. This helps reduce calorie intake while still enjoying a variety of foods.
Moderate Your Intake of Fats, Sugar and Alcohol
• Limit deep-fried foods, cream-based sauces, and visible fat on meats.
• Replace sugary drinks with water, sparkling water, or unsweetened iced tea.
• If you drink alcohol, alternate with water and set a sensible limit for yourself.
Alcohol adds extra calories and can lead to dehydration, especially in Singapore’s humid climate; staying well hydrated helps your body process food more efficiently and curbs late-night cravings.
Follow the following links for good dining advices:
Food, Diet & Nutrition
Food Tips | HealthXchange
3. Portion Control and Timing
Avoid Arriving on an Empty Stomach
Going to a festive meal hungry can make you eat more than you need. HealthHub recommends having a nutritious snack — like fruit with protein — before attending events.
Don’t Skip Meals
Skipping meals earlier in the day often leads to overeating later. Aim for regular, balanced meals even on days with multiple gatherings.
Use Smaller Plates
Eating from smaller dishes psychologically makes you feel like you’re eating more, helping cut back on overall intake without feeling deprived.
4. Hydration and Digestive Wellness
Hydration goes hand-in-hand with healthy eating. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day — not just at meals — helps regulate appetite, supports digestion, and can reduce the chances of indigestion or bloating, especially after heavy meals.
5. Special Considerations for At-Risk Groups
Older Adults, Young Children and Immunocompromised Individuals
Vulnerable groups should be especially cautious: avoid raw or undercooked foods like sushi or oysters, and prefer well-cooked and easily digestible meals.
Food Safety at Social Gatherings
For large dinners or potlucks, ensure foods are not left at room temperature for extended periods. If you’re hosting, display consume by labels clearly and remove food that has been out too long.
Eat Healthy During this Festive Season!
The festive season is a wonderful time of connection, celebration, and good food. By combining cautious food safety practices and mindful, balanced eating habits, you can protect your health without sacrificing the pleasures of seasonal dining. Whether you’re hosting dinners or attending gatherings, these practical tips — guided by Singapore’s health authorities and backed by nutrition science — will help keep you feeling your best as you toast to the year’s end and welcome the year ahead.
Express Medical is an all-in-one clinic located at Rowell Road, Singapore, located near the Little India, Jalan Besar and Serangoon areas that provides GP Consultation, Vaccination, X-Ray and Health Screening services. To understand more about our health screening and GP services we provide, check out our services page.
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